Ebm69

Ebm69 is Eb, Gb, Bb, C and F, a minor six-nine. The shape this page opens on is written 211311, lowest string first.

Also written Ebm6/9, Ebmin6/9 or Eb-6/9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for Ebm69 on the guitar, and 34 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Ebm69 belongs to C# major (the ii) and Bb minor (the iv).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 211311, x6456x, 11-9-10-10-x-x, x-9-10-10-11-11, 11-x-10-11-11-13, 11-x-13-11-13-13, x-x-13-11-13-13, x-13-13-11-13-13, 14-x-13-15-13-13.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Ebm69 has x6456x, 11-9-10-10-x-x, x-x-13-11-13-13.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Ebm69 has x6456x, 11-9-10-10-x-x, x-x-13-11-13-13, 2635xx, xx3542, xx4868, 8848xx, x-8-10-8-7-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Ebm69 has x6x562, 2x354x, 8x486x, x8x878, 11-x-10-10-7-x, x-9-x-10-13-11, 13-x-13-11-13-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Ebm69 has xx3312, xx4566, x-9-10-10-11-x, x-x-15-15-13-14, x3x362, x3436x, x8857x, x8x576.

Tensions. A shell of Ebm69, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (Ab).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.